'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAL+UIf/EACAQAAEEAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIBAwQFABIHFCNUgdL/2gAIAQEAAT8Al8iX1BBB6YxXrDVO1JaaIk9gpoWSOcbvqHdDq9dvBL7z/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEhMf/aAAgBAgEBPwC6z//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR/9oACAEDAQE/AI//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The F1 circus heads to Suzuka for the return of the Japanese GP this weekend. The race has always held an iconic status on the sport's calendar because of its history and track layout. Suzuka's track layout is simply one of, if not the most loved, layouts for the drivers on the entire calendar.
Having said that, what can we expect from the race this weekend? Who is going to win it? Who is going to be competitive and who is going to surprise us? Well, let's find out as we share our top 5 bold predictions for the 2022 F1 Japanese GP.
#5 A disappointing weekend ahead for AlphaTauri
AlphaTauri's strengths and weaknesses have been quite visible to everyone this season. The car performs very well in the low downforce circuits while the high downforce circuits are an Achilles heel for the team.
Trending
Suzuka's famous Senna esses are notoriously demanding when it comes to downforce. The car needs to be perfect in this section or else you lose a chunk of time. For AlphaTauri, a car that suffers quite a bit in the high downforce sections, it's going to be a tough weekend as the team will struggle to score points at the 2022 F1 Japanese GP.
#4 Aston Martin scores points
Aston Martin has shown impressive pace since the summer break. The car still struggles to get it all together in qualifying, but in the races, it's easily the sixth fastest car on the grid. The team climbed to seventh in the championship after a double points finish in Singapore and it pretty much highlighted its improvement in performance.
Meanwhile, nearest rival Alfa Romeo is at P6 in the championship but the car has lost all of its competitiveness and is struggling to score points. With a 15 point gap to the Italian outfit, Aston Martin will be looking at its next scalp in the championship as it tries to salvage a somewhat poor season. We're backing Aston Martin to score points at the 2022 F1 Japanese GP.
#3 Alpine will make a comeback against McLaren
Alpine heads to the east Asian nation after its latest double setback. The team dropped a place in the championship to P5 after incurring three DNFs in the last two races. Rival McLaren has made the most of it and gobbled up as many points as it could in the meantime.
There is, however, one key factor that works in Alpine's favor as it looks forward to the 2022 F1 Japanese GP. It is the car!
Something that was acknowledged by both the teams in Singapore was the fact that Alpine was clearly the better machinery at the time. If it wasn't for the double DNFs, Fernando Alonso was en route to finishing just behind Lando Norris in the race while Esteban Ocon was an outside contender for points as well. For the 2022 F1 Japanese GP, we're backing Alpine to bounce back and regain the recently lost momentum.
#2 Mercedes will have a much better performance this weekend
Mercedes had a howler of a weekend in Singapore as both drivers dropped a stinker on Sunday. George Russell was stuck at the back of the grid, but when he was not, he was clashing with slower cars (Mick Schumacher and Valtteri Bottas). Lewis Hamilton made uncharacteristic errors as well (two of them) and went down from fighting for the podium to finish the race in P9.
At Suzuka, the possibility of a freak result is much lesser. The track is more conducive to overtaking than Singapore was, so any mishap can be recovered from. To add to this, the track layout should be comparatively smoother so bumps should not be much of a worry either.
While there is some rain predicted, it's hard to expect Mercedes to get compromised in the wet in the 2022 F1 Japanese GP. The car does tend to take its sweet time to fire up the tires, but what this also does is it increases their life.
Imagine a scenario where the Mercedes struggles a bit at the start of a stint in the rain. Once the tires generate temperature, the car can keep them in the working range for a longer period with less wear. Overall, Mercedes should be able to have a much better weekend at the upcoming F1 Japanese GP.
#1 Max Verstappen wins the 2022 F1 Japanese GP
Max Verstappen was seething after the 2022 F1 Singapore GP qualifying and revealed a ruthless side that should not have been a surprise. Arguably, without Verstappen's fuel issues, he would have been a strong favorite to win the race. The race was not the best for the Red Bull driver either as he went off track while trying to overtake Lando Norris. After the race, it was surmised that Verstappen's whole situation was the result of him wanting to be 'perfect' all the time.
Singapore was far from it and hence the rage. Having said that, Verstappen comes to Japan full of motivation and drive. Leaving Singapore's disappointment behind, he can now look forward to sealing the championship at Suzuka. To add to this, the F1 Japanese GP is Honda's home race.
Speaking of the car, the track suits Red Bull perfectly. Although rain is forecast, it should work in Verstappen's favor even more. While it's not too bold to pick the driver that has won 11 of the 17 races this season, it's hard to look beyond Max Verstappen as the winner of the 2022 F1 Japanese GP.
